Weight Training and Cardio
Weight Training and Cardio - Which is Better
There has always been the question of whether Weight Training (weights or resistance) workouts or Cardio (heart pumping) workouts were more beneficial. The answer is that both weight training and cardio are equally important. Combining both types of workouts into your exercise regime is the key to
Healthy Living. Cardiovascular workouts are essential to keep your internal organs working as efficiently as possible as well as preventing cardiovascular disease. Weight training is vital to ensure muscle mass is not lost and building muscle helps your body burn calories efficiently. If your goals are to build strength you may want to focus more on strength training. Likewise, if your goals are to lose weight or fat you may want to focus more on cardio. Either way, both should still be incorporated into your workouts.
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Weight Training and Cardio - Which Should I Do First
Now that we have established that both weight training and cardio are important, we need to determine what the most effective combination of the two are. For overall health, it really doesn’t matter what the combination is.
Weight Training and Cardio If your goal is to build muscle
Perform weight training and cardio on different days or perform weight training before cardio if you do both on the same day. For the most effective gains in muscle mass, it is important to push your muscles as far as you can. Performing cardio before weight training will cause you to reach muscle fatigue much sooner and you will either lose reps or not be able to lift as much weight.
Weight Training and Cardio If your goal is to lose fat or increase endurance
If your goal is to lose fat, perform cardio first. You will have more energy for your cardio sessions.
Longer cardio sessions mean more fat burning. You can either perform weight training after your cardio sessions or on other days. Performing cardio first thing in the morning will maximize weight loss. This is because your body is coming off a fasting period (sleep) and is primed to burn fat.
Weight Training and Cardio If your goal is to get toned and lose fat
If your goal is to build muscle and lose fat at the same time perform interval training. Interval training is when you combine both weight training and cardio into the same workout. Read more about Interval Training.
How Often Should I Perform Cardio
When trying to lose fat, the more cardio the better. Try to fit cardio in 4 to 6 times a week. When building muscle, do cardio 2 to 3 times a week. Remember that cardio is important so do not skip it. For overall Healthy Living, try to do cardio at least 4 times a week.
Cardio Duration
Suggested cardio session durations should be anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. This sounds like a lot and for most it is. The point to remember is that you should only do what you can. If you can only do 5 or 10 minute sessions at a time, then do it. Do not get discouraged. Eventually you will work up to 30 to 60 minutes. Until then, you may want to try to split your sessions up throughout the day or even throughout your workout. Also try to work up to a moderate intensity level for optimal fat burning. A good rule of thumb for a moderate intensity level is that you should be sweating but still able to hold a normal conversation. If you are huffing and puffing and barely able to talk, you are working too hard. On the other hand if it’s too easy (and you can tell) then you are not getting the full benefit of cardio. After a while, doing the same cardio can get a little boring. To get the most of your sessions visit our Effective Cardio article.
How Often Should I Perform Weight Training
You can weight train every day; however do not work the same body part two days in a row. It is important for your muscles to recover. It is this rest period that the muscle actually grows. You could work a body part every other day but try to stick to doing each muscle group to about twice a week. This is plenty of time for your muscles to grow and recover. Some people even do a muscle group once a week.